Mary Kay Ash said, “There are three types of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.” Today, you are standing in the hallway of Life; one hand is pulling the door of yesteryear, the other hand is pushing open your door of tomorrows. This past year, some of us were guilty of sitting on the sidelines watching the game of Life unfold. We warmed up, stretched, and prepared, vowing to be ready when the right opportunity presented itself…and we are still waiting today. Whether by will or by force, there were others of us who ran alongside of Life’s speeding train and took the leap. Ignorant of the fears of being crushed between the tracks of trials and wheels of adversity, we envisioned a better future, took the risk to make it happen…and it did. The rest of us, and there are many, kept our heads down, scratched and clawed from one month to another. As the bombs of burdens were silenced with the murmurings of good wishes and joy; as the monotonous grind was swapped for merry’s and glad tidings, with cautious optimism, we lifted our heads up just in time to see the eclipse of another year, wondering aloud, “Where did the year go…what happened?”  Your life’s treadmill is set at 30:12, 30 days, 12 months…and before you know it, your life is over. Would have, should have, but didn’t. Refuse to stroll casually in life- lace up and walk by choice, not by chance, towards your destiny.  You will take over 2 million steps this year-just imagine if those steps taken were deliberate.

You’ve arrived on the street named Today as a result of trying. While it is noble that you’ve broken away from those unfortunate souls who’ve elected to play it safe, individuals who’ve remained complacent- never bold enough to have tasted success nor licked the flames of crushing defeats. You’ve allowed erosion to creep in, permitting yourself to coast, attempting only what is necessary and nothing more. Before plowing, a farmer would place a stake in the ground and point his team of oxen toward the target-careful not to become distracted to that neither behind nor beside him for fear of getting off track and ruining his crop. Instead of limping into another New Year, take the deliberate steps, place your stake and begin to move forward toward your New Your.

• Growth: The more you know, the more you will grow; instead of creating a To-do list for your New Year create a growth plan for your New Your. You are surrounded by new opportunities everywhere just waiting to be discovered. Many people become cynics of life because they’ve allowed themselves to arrive with no future destination. You wouldn’t dream of stopping in the middle of a freeway, yet many of us throw our lives into park and just sit while life’s opportunities fly by. Success is uncomfortable- remain uncomfortable with your surroundings. Complacency begins by being comfortable. Napoleon Hill said, “Strength and growth come from continuous effort and struggle.” You’ll never touch what you’re not willing to stretch and reach for.
• Obstacles: Do you know what is standing in your way? You. You’ve allowed the force of vices and self-limiting beliefs to stand in your way. Just because someone gave up on their dreams is no reason for them to talk you out of yours. You are not a tree, if you don’t like something, change it. Les Brown said, “If you can’t bring the people up in your life, don’t let them bring you down.” Who and what you surround yourself with will determine how and why you arrive in your future. Impossible is an opinion, what’s yours?
• Application: Medicine is only effective when applied. Possessing a certain idea or talent will not guaranty success; you must go to work and apply yourself-whether your knowledge is vast or small, stop waiting on optimal conditions. There is no better time than now- there will never be a perfect time to begin. Change your imperfections to I’mperfection by taking action. Fortunes are made in severe economic downturns, marriages are saved before the final decree; it’s never too late to try again. As long as you are still breathing, you’ve got another chance.
• Live it: Now that you’ve created a growth strategy, have begun the task removing those obstacles standing in your way, and applied a positive course of action, begin living your future now. There will be days you won’t feel like your life is changing-there will be times you don’t know whether you are 12 inches or 12 miles from achieving a breakthrough, but be assured, if you stop-if you turn back, you’ll never know what you were capable of. If you are going to fail, fail forward.

Our lives are peppered with sorrowful moments; some of those lost are close to us by relationship while unknown others are relationally close to our hearts. Death is revelation to those of us still living of just how precious life is. The richest place on earth is the cemetery- untapped potential, dreams, cures, and ideas are buried with those who elected to watch and wonder- becoming a bystander in their own lives. True achievement stems from continuous Growth, the removal of the Obstacles hindering your progress, the Application of positive principles, and Living your life to the fullest-nothing left in reserve. To me, that is true G.O.A.L. setting. Well done is better than well said.

I’ll see you next time on the blacktop.

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